'PARASITE' HASN'T WORKED OUT ITS BUGS

'PARASITE' HASN'T WORKED OUT ITS BUGS

Miami Herald, The (FL) - May 22, 1982

Author: BILL COSFORD Herald Movie Critic

Parasite in 3-D: The title almost says it all. The year is 1992, times have changed for the worse, and society is divided into folks scraping by and an arrogant elite composed of government and what remains of big business. The cities are radioactive, the suburbs are forced-labor camps. And the evil bureaucracy has succeeded in breeding a new life form for population control.

Another society run amok might have settled for the laser or the biological agent. But this is 3-D, and only a parasite would do. Gosh, you should see him -- he slithers up your leg, takes a bite out of your thigh, gnaws away at your chest cavity. Sometimes he burrows into your torso, works his way and explodes your head. Whew.

And there is little more to say. A discussion of production values is meaningless when the movie is in 3-D; the effect still doesn't work the way it should, there are constant focus problems, and there are those mid-film headaches. Script and performances are quite beside the point, though Parasite isn't wholly lacking on either element. What it all comes down to is watching the head explode into your lap. Take it or leave it....